A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
yep MTSOs are presemt - nada
Posted: Aug 27, 2012
Yep MTSOs are on board and reading.. Since we are at it, how about a decent wage? Other than 7 cpl? Of course, if you pass IMPOSSIBLE QA and keep yoiur mouth shut "like a good ittle girl" then we might pay 7.5" I have stooped to these MTSOs and their DEMANDS - the "book" is just that. We have MTSO's who are subcontractors -- several other services on board. I have been in this business for 30+ years. When I started from home, it was on casette tapes at 0.5 cpl - where has our professiion and purpose gone? I was dinged for putting commas and semicolons -- hypenating words etc. The BOS is exactly that -- we now, in this professiion, HAVE QA people, that have no clule as to correct grammar, or punctuation.
Quality - anon
[ In Reply To ..]I know were are not supposed to be the grammar/punctuation police on this board, but if you are complaining about QA, maybe to make a valid point on this post, proofread this.
I am no longer a MTSO unless you want to count the single transcriptionist who assists me with longer reports, but a transcriptionist just like everybody else. I am turning down lucrative accounts because I cannot find a reliable MT who can turn in quality work and pay a lot higher than nationals with no VR. I DO interact with my clients (over 96 physicians) and know most of them personally as well as receive direct feedback, and if you do not feel correct punctuation and grammar are important (AND APPRECIATED), you are sadly mistaken. You have no idea how many accounts I have obtained (without the physician giving the other service notice) due to the above along with good word processing skills. This in an area where EMR is prevalent. I also get paid for my skills and attention to detail, which is a lot more than stated above.
I go exactly by the BOS (unless a client contacts me requesting a certain variation) and email the BOS to the clients themselves, so they are aware of the guidelines I adhere to or why I implement changes in dictation.
Again, I am paid and appreciated for my knowledge EXTREMELY WELL.
It saddens me so to see where this industry has gone and to read posts such as this. In no way am I justifying low pay from national MTSOs, but you also have to take into consideration that the clients themselves are paying considerably less and demanding a lot more in return. MTSOs also have to now pay for expensive technology we did not have to in the past, such as dictation systems, platforms, QA (MTs used to learn accounts and were expected to turn in client-ready work), dictation phone lines, extensive software/IT as well as marketing/advertising, hiring/training transcriptionists, websites, FTP, server fees, Internet, and constant equipment replacement, etc... etc... I know I have over $5000 per month just in these overhead costs (not including equipment replacement or software upgrades), and then medical, which is over $5000 per month if nothing goes wrong.
If you have over 30 years of experience, why don't you just obtain your own clients? BTY, you will be amazed at just how little the clients are willing to pay for all they want...
I read your post - NN
[ In Reply To ..]Cry all you want. Been there done it, seen it all, I don't and won't buy excuses. I have been offered my"own accounts and service." I will not do it for many reasons. The first being barracuda MTs that think they can work when and IF they feel like it.
Secondly, QA people whom have no concept of proper English grammar Again the book of s** has become a BIBLE for some MTSO's -- this is not accurate and just a gague of things.
Thirdlly Ms Know It All, do you have dependable QA staff? -- I think not. I LISTEN to a doctor and flow of the dictation. I will place a comma, a semicolon or a period where I find it necessary, as well as placing a paragraph -- not based on some ogranization and what they feel is "correct."
This last account, sound was HORRENDOUS. If I didn't catch "a, and, if but" VERBAIM -- it was horrendous! How about "ZERO QA ON EMDAT" A platform that has everything in caps. Another QA example -- with this crap platform - MiraLax -- look it up, it is MiraLAX however, called on the carpet -- again, we are to know this but wages are what they are when I started 30 some years ago. I also, (as many others do,) do not appreciate being treated like we just fell off the truck.
Quality and QA - anon
[ In Reply To ..]I can clearly see why you have issues with QA.
Agree - Another reader
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Just because clients "demand" ridiculously low, - bargain-basement rates, doesnt mean - S/M
[ In Reply To ..]MTSOs all have to light a candle and grab their ankles. If they wanted, they could insist on fair compensation for them and their MTs, and maybe not in the short run, but in the LONG RUN, which is what really matters, they would probably be far better off financially. It seems like the MTSOs are hellbent on running their own livelihoods right into the ground.
So far, they'e succeeding at nothing but slitting their own throats.
pay - anon
[ In Reply To ..]I said you would be surprised at what clients are willing to pay. I did not say I accepted low-paying clients. Quite the opposite.
There will always be that MTSO who will undercut the others, - keeping pay low. nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
It's generally common knowledge that when one - company deeply undercuts - (S/M)
[ In Reply To ..]everyone else, there's usually a good reason. Their quality is lacking.
Back when I had a business of my own (non-MT), I stuck to my guns about my prices, while a couple others offered big discounts up front. In all but one case, when a client left me to try out the cheapo guys, they all came back, with a greater respect for my services. And a few of them even started telling me I wasn't charging enough, others started giving generous tips.
And there's also that little thing called word-of-mouth. Best advertising ever if you're good; your worse nightmare if you suck. Which I'm sure is why so many MTSOs seem to be "re-branding" and changing their names, lately.
PS: Clients that leave for cheapo prices are always - pains-in-the-butt! Better off without them! N/M
[ In Reply To ..]
Clients paying me higher prices - anon
[ In Reply To ..]No, the clients that are coming to me are paying higher prices than what they were paying. I am charging more than their last service did. Quality does count it seems.
punctuation and grammar - tmt
[ In Reply To ..]Dictators aren't perfect, either. It's impossible to punctuate per English grammar rules when the sentence is awkward, or not even a sentence at all. Sure, we could recast, but then we'd get dinged for changing too much.
I believe the OP was venting about punctuation changes that are, at best, judgment calls -- MT's judgment vs. QA's judgment.
Yes, I remember those days - anon
[ In Reply To ..]Battling QA. She would always ding me for something she found in a remote, strange book instead of being correct and going by the reference material I was told to use. I do not miss those days of working for a service at all.
I am lucky I do not have verbatim accounts, have editing privileges from my clients, and am expected to fix things, especially verbs, grammar, and the like. I am also so extremely grateful for the help my transcriptionist gives me and do not "ding" her for anything but keep my mouth shut and say thank you. She is reliable, and items are really pretty minor. I feel for you all.
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